Brothers
by Smile because it happened
Summary: Darry, Twobit and Dally are the same age as in the book, but Johnny, Pony, Soda and Steve are younger. Can the gang still work with such a big age gap? Soda and Steve are 10, Johnny is 9 and Pony is 7
1. Bath time

"Pony, you have 10 minutes then it's time for your bath." Darry Curtis called from the kitchen where he was doing the washing up.  
  
"Awww, Darry," Ponyboy whined, looking up from his building blocks. "Just 5 more minutes...pleeeeeease."  
  
"No Pony we've talked about this. If you don't have your bath now your hair won't have time to dry. Remember what happened last time you went to bed with wet hair."  
  
"He woke up with a bird's nest on his head!" Sodapop laughed, pulling a face at Ponyboy.  
  
"I did not!" He snapped back indignantly. "I would've known if a bird was living on my head Stupid!"  
  
"Hey! Darry Pony just called m.."  
  
"Enough! Ponyboy Curtis you get into that tub right this minute, Soad, don't you have homework to do?"  
  
"Maybe," Soda answered suspiciously. He wasn't sure weather Darry would offer to help, or simply make him do it.  
  
"Well get on with it then. Pony, move. I'm not going to tell you again!" Darry walked up behind his youngest brother who was busy pulling faces at Soda and get him a gentle smack to get him started in the right direction.  
  
Once inside the bathroom, Darry began to run the bath while Pony undressed himself. By the time the tub was full Pony was sitting on the floor pulling his socks off.  
  
"Come on then," Darry said, stooping to pick up the clothes Pony had dropped on the floor. "In you hop."  
  
Pony handed Darry his socks and carefully climbed in. He giggled as the warm water made his skin prickle. "What you laughing at?" Darry asked, coming back in and ruffling his hair affectionately.  
  
Pony shrugged. "Nothin'" He said simply.  
  
"Tell you what," Darry began, picking up a flannel and some soap. "How about we get you all cleaned up first, than you can have longer to play at the end alright?"  
  
Pony nodded and let Darry wash his face and hair without making to much of a fuss. Darry was just getting the last bit of dirt out from under his finger nails when he heard Soda calling his name.  
  
"I'll be there in a minute Soda," he yelled back, then turned to Pony. "I'll be right back. Just stay in the bath, don't try to get out or anything understand? Pony nodded, no looking up from his game. Darry sighed and shook his head before standing up to go find Soda, leaving Ponyboy chatting quietly to a rubber duck.  
  
"What's up little man?" He asked sitting down next to him.  
  
"I can't do it Darry. Nothin' makes sense. I feel stupid," Soda whined, looking upset and angry at the same time.  
  
"What are you talkin' about," Darry said, giving his brother a light punch in the arm. "Your not stupid. You just aren't so good with numbers, that's all."  
  
"Will you help me?" Soda asked, looking up at Darry with big puppy eyes. Darry glanced nervously towards the bathroom but could only hear Ponyboy still happily splashing, around so agreed.  
  
"But if you think I'm going to do it all for you, you'll be in for a shook." Soda looked innocently back at him as though shocked that Darry would even suggest such a thing. "Hmmmm," Darry said.  
  
20 minutes later, they were still only on the second question. Soda really doesn't get this Darry thought to himself, trying not to loose patience with him. Sodas problem was he questioned everything. He had to know why the shop wanted to sell 34 apples at such a cheap price. Why the boy had to walk all the dogs at the same time. Why you had to copy out the question first. And it was driving Darry mad trying to explain it all to him. He had almost forgotten about Ponyboy.  
  
That's why, when a startled yell came from the bathroom, Darry had to think for a moment who it could be. Then he realised, he'd left Pony alone in the bath all this time. "You Idiot!" He muttered to himself as he raced into the bathroom.  
  
Pony was still sitting in the tub where Darry'd left him. He was holding both hands out of the water and staring at them, tears streaming down his cheeks.  
  
"Pony, what's wrong?" Darry asked, frantically looking round for any signs of blood.  
  
"My hands!" Pony sobbed. "My hands are like prunes!"  
  
"You what?" Darry asked, confused.  
  
"Look, my fingers are all wrinkly, like prunes!"  
  
"I think he's spent to long in the bath," Soda said from behind Darry, making him jump.  
  
"Yeah and who's fault is that then?" Darry snapped back, angry that Soda was still not doing his homework.. He regretted it as soon as he'd said it. Soda looked down guiltily and ducked quickly out the bathroom. "Soda..." He began, but it was to late. Darry heard their bedroom door click shut.  
  
Still he could deal with Soda later. He turned back to Ponyboy who was looking at him strangely, his sobs having quietened during the argument but tears still falling from his eyes.  
  
"Come here baby," Darry lifted him out of the bath, wrapped him up in a towel, then gathered him into his arms for a hug. "They won't stay like that forever, I promise."  
  
"But they might do. I don't want my fingers to look like prunes. People will eat them."  
  
"Come on," Darry sighed, carry him into their bedroom. Soda was lying on their bed, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Soda I didn't mean it," Darry began, setting Pony down on the floor and giving him one last rub down before pulling the towel off him. Soda didn't look up so he continued. "It wasn't your fault."  
  
"Why did you say it was then?" Soda replied sulkily, watch Darry pull a Superman pyjama top over Pony's head.  
  
"Because I was angry."  
  
"At me?" Pony asked, putting his hands on Darry's shoulders so he could step into his pyjama bottoms Darry was holding out.  
  
"No at me," Soda told him, sitting up.  
  
"No not at either of you, I was angry at me so I yelled at you Soda and I'm sorry." He picked Pony back up again and shifted him to his right hip, all the time not taking his eyes off Soda.  
  
Soda seemed to think for a minute, then shrugged his shoulders. His face broke into a smile. "That's ok," he said cheerfully. "Just don't do it to often." 


	2. Nightmares

"Where are their souls?" Pony asked Darry, looking up from his McDonald's fries.  
  
"They're in Heaven." He replied, not really wanting to get onto the subject of their parents.  
  
"How did they get there?" Pony pressed on, oblivious to his brother's discomfort. Soda now looked up at Darry also.  
  
Darry put down his burger and wiped his hands. "By heavenly means," he said before getting up and starting to tidy away the McDonalds packaging that was scattered al over the living room.  
  
"Did God send a bucket down on a rope?"  
  
"I expect so kiddo."  
  
"But like a heavenly bucket?"  
  
"Yeah a Heavenly bucket."  
  
"With a gold rope I expect."  
  
"Probably."  
  
Ponyboy nodded and thoughtfully began to lick salt off his fingers. Darry watched him for a minute, wondering what was going on in that little head of his. It made him nervous, Pony asking so many questions about their parents.  
  
"Alright you two, time for bed." Darry continued, raising a hand to quieten the protests that bubbled up. "Come on guys, I'm really tired tonight. For once will you just go to bed when I tell you? Please?"  
  
To his surprise both children stopped complaining, and smiled up at him.  
  
"We'll go to bed," Soda said, a twinkle in his eye. "If you promise to turn your light out when we turn out ours."  
  
Darry sighed and shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Alright, alright," he agreed, finally giving in. "Come on lets all get ready for bed then."  
  
Half an hour later all lights were out and Darry had just finished tucking in Ponyboy and confiscating Soda's flash light and comic book. He flopped down onto his pillows and was asleep almost instantly.  
  
He only woke up because someone was shaking him. He rolled over and found himself only inches away from Soda's face. His expression woke Darry up properly.  
  
"What's wrong honey?" He asked, sitting up and flicking on the light. "Don't you feel well?"  
  
"It's Pony Darry. He's havin' one of his nightmares again."  
  
Darry cussed silently under his breath and quickly followed Soda back into their bedroom. Ponyboy was frantically thrashing around, his arms and legs caught up in the sheets, his face drenched in sweat.  
  
"Soda go get me a wet flannel from the bathroom," Darry instructed calmly, not wanting to scare Soda anymore than he already was, while he carefully moved round next to Ponyboy. "Sssshhhhh," he began softly, stroking his cheek gently. "Come on Ponyboy, not tonight,"  
  
Soda reappeared holding a flannel and looking worried. Darry could see bags under his eyes, the result of to many disturbed nights.  
  
"He's wet the bed Darry." He said quietly, handing him the flannel. "Can you make him better?"  
  
"He's not sick, Soda, he's just scared," Darry corrected, although secretly he was worried about Pony, he'd not wet the bed for years.  
  
Darry slowly leaned over Pony's face, carefully avoiding his still flailing arms and squeezed the flannel out over his face. Pony gasped and sat bolt upright. Darry lent quickly back, waiting to see weather Pony had snapped out of it or not. He started to scream.  
  
"Mom, mom, mom! Mommy NO! MOMMY!"  
  
"Saod get me another flannel. Now!" Darry wrapped his arms tightly round Ponyboy as Soda dashed back to the bathroom.  
  
Once he was back, Darry wrung the second flannel out over Pony's face. To both is brother's relief this seemed to calm him down. Darry began to gentle wipe his face, shushing him softly.  
  
"Mommy," Heavy sobs replaced Pony's yells. "Mommy no..."  
  
Darry peeled the wet sheets off him and picked in up, slipping his pyjama bottoms off him at the same time. He handed them to Soda and asked him to put them in the bath with the bed clothes. Soda nodded and began to strip the bed. Darry carried Pony through the living room and into the kitchen. He sat him down on the counter next to the sink and began to gently wash his legs. He then did the same to his tear-stained little face.  
  
Darry had Pony in a clean pair of pyjamas and was holding him on his lap by the time Soda was finished in the bathroom. Pony was still crying and occasionally calling out for their mom.  
  
"It's no use Darry," Soda said sadly, watching his brothers. "He don't want you; he wants mom."  
  
"Go to bed Soda," Darry sighed, knowing his brother spoke the truth. "You can sleep in my bed tonight."  
  
Soda opened his mouth to argue but shut it again and disappeared after a stern glare from Darry. He gently rocked Pony on his lap, whispering nonsense words into his soft brown hair until the tears stopped. Only then did he try and find out the problem.  
  
"What's wrong baby? You had another nightmare?" He felt Pony's head nod against his chest.  
  
"Darry, my legs are all wet."  
  
"That's because you wet the bed honey."  
  
"Oh. Did I pee on my face?"  
  
"No. I had to put water on you to wake you up."  
  
"You did? Sorry."  
  
"It's ok, not your fault. What were you dreamin' about?"  
  
"Mommy."  
  
"What about mommy?"  
  
"She was going up in Heaven's bucket and I couldn't reach her. I kept jumping and jumping. Then there were loads of Heaven's buckets, millions and millions and I couldn't find mommy's bucket and..." Pony trailed off, sighing.  
  
"What?" asked Darry.  
  
"I miss things."  
  
"What things?"  
  
Pony shrugged. "Just things," he yawned. "Sometimes...when I think about them."  
  
Darry smiled sadly and gently rubbed his back.  
  
"I'm not gonna have any more bad dreams am I Darry?"  
  
"No baby, not tonight. I think your all dreamed out."  
  
When Soda got up next morning, he found Darry asleep on the sofa with Ponyboy curled up on his belly, clutching Darry's pyjama top in his fist as though he'd never let go. 


	3. The sitter

"Darry why do we have to stay with this lady. She a soc."  
  
"Soda, it's only for one afternoon. She's the only lady in the whole town I can get to sit you, and that's your own fault not mine."  
  
"Why can't Two-bit or Dally sit us?" Soda whined, not about to give in without a fight.  
  
"Because they're busy. Now you two are going to be nice to this lady. Remember your manners and don't break anything for goodness sake."  
  
"Did you know, fries are made from potatoes?"  
  
"Pony, what are you talkin' about?" Darry said, looking down at his brother with a confused expression on his face.  
  
"Fries," Ponyboy repeated. "They're made from potatoes. Can I have some fries?"  
  
"No! You've just had lunch. Soda will you get off my shirt, your gonna rip it!" Soda had been tugging at Darry's shirt for the past five minutes try to get his attention.  
  
"It's not fair! I don't wanna go stay with this posh lady. She'll be just like the others. It's not damn fair!"  
  
"Soda!" Darry snapped, giving him a light smack to remind him to watch his mouth. "Don't you dare speak like that about Mrs Warren. You haven't even met her yet, and anyone who's willing to put up with you two for an afternoon is, in my opinion, a saint!"  
  
"Ummmm! Damn's a naughty word isn't it Darry."  
  
"Yes it is, and Soda's a naughty boy for using it. So don't you go repeating it." Darry grabbed Pony's hand as Soda shoved his hands into his pockets and stuck his tongue out at Ponyboy.  
  
"Darry....that shop sells fries..."  
  
"No Ponyboy! We're gonna be late."  
  
10 minutes all three Curtis brothers stood in front of a large semi- detached immaculate looking house.  
  
"See," Soda muttered. "I told you it was gonna be posh."  
  
"Look," Pony whispered in awe. "She has a red front door..."  
  
"Come on," Darry said, shaking his head and pulling his brothers up the gravel drive. "I'll ring the bell and..."  
  
"No I wanna ring it!" Pony yelled, jumping up to try and reach. "I wanna ring it!"  
  
"Alright, alright. You ring it then." Darry lifted him up and Pony held his finger down on the buzzer. "Pony that's enough," Darry hissed. "You'll make enough noise to wake the dead...Oh hello Mrs Warren."  
  
"Hello Darrel, and how are you this fine Sunday afternoon?" A large plump middle-aged women stood in the doorway, grinning down at them. Darry took a step back and felt Ponyboy grab his hand.  
  
"Er....We're fine thank you." He was craning to see round her and into her house. From what he could see, it looked just as neat and tidy as the outside of it. Oh God, he thought to himself, Pony and Soda are gonna make a right mess of this. "Is it ok if I pick them up around five?"  
  
Soda almost choked on his gum. "Five o'clock," he spluttered. "That's four hours!"  
  
"Yes I know," Darry hissed back glaring at him.  
  
"Hi Mrs Waral, my name's Ponyboy." Pony said cheerfully, holding out a sticky hand.  
  
"It's Mrs Warren," Darry whispered, becoming more embarrassed by the minute. He decided to leave as quickly as possible.  
  
"Good afternoon Ponyboy," Mrs Warren replied, taking his hand and shaking it heartily. Pony beamed, it wasn't often people shook his hand. "Well come in, come in, no need to stand on my doorstep all afternoon!"  
  
"Oh...yes," Darry said, slightlly taken back. "I'll see both you later. Now be good and remember what we talked about." This last bit was directed, with a firm glance, at Soda.  
  
"Your not staying?" Ponyboy asked, looking confused.  
  
"Of course he's not dear," Mrs Warren said briskly, ushering Pony and soda in through the door.  
  
"But I thought..." Pony began.  
  
"Aw Pony don't you ever listen," Soda said, rolling his eyes. "We've been talkin' about it the whole way here!"  
  
"I was thinking about fries!" Pony said in reply. He turned to Mrs Warren. "Do you have any fries?"  
  
Darry closed his eyes in despair. When he opened again, the door was just closing. The last thing he saw was Soda scuffing his sneakers on the plush red carpet and Ponyboy clinging on to Mrs Warren's skirt and peering anxiously through the crack in the door. Then it banged shut. Might as well start looking for a new sitter right this minute he thought to himself as he walked back down the drive.  
  
"You have a red front door," Pony informed Mrs Warren as soon as it closed.  
  
"She does that Dummy. She ain't blind!" Soda snapped, still in a bad mood and determined not to enjoy himself.  
  
"Thank you Ponyboy," Mrs Warren replied, looking reproachfully at Soda. "It's very nice of you to say so. Now I'll just go call my grandchildren so you boys will have someone to play with."  
  
"You have grandchildren!?" Soda asked, his mood dropping even lower.  
  
"Yes dear," Mrs Warren said, disappearing upstairs. "Didn't your brother tell you?"  
  
"Didn't your brother tell you?" Soda mimicked as soon as she'd gone. "I told you she'd be a witch didn't I."  
  
"No, you said she'd be a wicked witch. Anyway, she's not a witch, I think she's nice."  
  
"You say that now, wait till she brings her Grandkids down to eat us!"  
  
To be continued... In part 2, meet the Grandkids. 


	4. The sitter part 2

"They're gonna eat us?" Pony asked Soda, looking at him in alarm.  
  
"Shhhh, here they come," Soda hissed, looking apprehensively at the stairs as two pairs of legs appeared. He felt Pony move slightly behind him.  
  
"Well, here they are." Mrs Warren said as she, a boy and a girl reached the hall. "Jessica and Toby meet Sodapop and Ponyboy."  
  
There was a long awkward silence as all the children looked each other up and down.  
  
"Why do you dress so weird?" Jessica finally asked Pony and Soda, her nose wrinkling slightly.  
  
Pony waited for Soda to invent some excellent come back, but Soda seemed to have gone into a state of shock, so Pony stepped forward instead.  
  
"Look who's talkin'," he said with as much attitude he could muster, copying Dally's stance and defiant look that Darry had told him never to do. The girl looked slightly taken back, but recovered quickly.  
  
"I'm talking," she said proudly. "And this is my house so I can say what I want." Pony was about to open his mouth when Mrs Warren cut in.  
  
"Well it's good to see your all getting on so well. I'll go make you kids some cookies."  
  
"We'll go into the playroom," Jessica continued, leading the way. Much as Soda and Pony disliked being bossed around by this pretty yet prissy girl, being in a strange house and with a slight fear in their belly's of what Darry would do if they misbehaved, they had no choice to follow. "What are your real names?"  
  
"Sodapop and Ponyboy," Soda answered after having got over his initial shock of having one of the most popular girls in school insulting his dress sense. "Same as your Grandma told you."  
  
"Oh," she said, clearly thinking this was extremely strange. "I thought she was joking."  
  
"Our dad choose them," Soda said proudly, always having been fond of his and his brother's unusual names.  
  
"Was that your dad who dropped you off?" Asked Tony, speaking for this first time.  
  
"No," Soda said curtly, not wanting to get on to the subject of their parents. "It was our brother."  
  
"Where's your mommy and daddy then?" Tony was obviously not taking the hint.  
  
"They've gone up in Heaven's bucket," Pony explained, ignoring the look Soda gave him. "So they can't look after us anymore."  
  
"My mommy and Daddy would never do that," Tony said looking shocked.  
  
"They didn't mean to, it just sort of happened." "They'd still never leave us," Jessica continued to boast. "Our parents love us."  
  
That did it for Soda. He just had to shut this awful girl up. He leapt forward, grabbed onto the long blond hair, and hung on as if his life depended on it.  
  
2 hours later, Darry sat down heavily on the worn out sofa, both his brothers standing shame faced and crying in front of him. Both children had been spanked for the afternoon's activities, not particularly hard as Darry thought they'd been through quite enough in one day, but hard enough to reduce both children to tears and have them calling out heart-filled apologies.  
  
"Alright," he said, pulling both of them closer to him. "I think you'll both think twice before getting into anymore fights don't you." He was greeted by vigorous nods. "Ok then." He pulled Ponyboy onto his lap and guided Soda to sit down next to him, slipping his arm around his shoulders. Pony immediately snuggled into his chest, deeply sorry for what he had done, but Soda sat up straight, staring at the wall in front of him.  
  
"She said Mommy and Daddy didn't love us Darry," Pony whispered against his chest, tracing the patterns on his shirt with his fingers. "She was real mean."  
  
"I know she was baby, but you can't go round hitting people just because they upset you."  
  
"You just hit us because we upset you."  
  
"No I smacked you because you'd been naughty, there's a difference."  
  
"No there's not. That Jessica was being naughty because she was bein' mean to us so Soda smacked her.....on her face."  
  
"Yeah well that wasn't up to you two to decide that," Darry sighed, he was having trouble explaining this to Pony. "It was up for her Grandma to decide weather she was being naughty or not." Pony seemed to except this and nodded his head slowly.  
  
"She was still mean though. And I bet she didn't get her bottom smacked. Mrs Werran wasn't even cross with her, only us."  
  
"It's Mrs Warren Pony. And if Jessica doesn't get a spanking she's going to grow up thinking that being mean to people is ok and not be a very nice person. Whereas you and Sodapop will grow up to be nice people because you know the difference between right and wrong and good and bad."  
  
"If it's right and good I get a nice felling inside, if it's wrong and bad, I get my bottom smacked." Pony repeated the lesson that had been taught to him first by his parents and now Darry.  
  
"Exactly," Darry said, looking at Soda. He's been quiet throughout the entire conversation, something that was very unusual for Soda.  
  
"What about if something's good and wrong, or bad and right? What would happen then?"  
  
"I don't know Pony. Look, why don't you go do some colouring ok? I want to talk to your brother."  
  
"Ok," Pony said, happily hopping off Darry's lap, the tears dried up and the spanking forgotten about in his little 7 year old head. Darry turned to Soda.  
  
"What's up with you little man?"  
  
"Nothin'," Soda muttered, shrugging Darry's arm off him.  
  
"Oh right, nothing. Your just sitting there like a dying duck in a thunder storm for no reason I suppose," Soda scowled at him. "Come on, spill."  
  
"I told you Darry. I told you I'd hate it and I didn't want to go. I told you but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened. That bitch will tell everyone at school on Monday, all the socs will be after me. All because you didn't believe me. If I'd looked after Ponyboy all by myself like I asked you, then none of this would've happened."  
  
"Soda, watch your mouth. Don't make me smack you again because I will you know."  
  
"Sorry," Soda muttered sulkily. Darry put his arm round him again, Soda let him.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you earlier," Darry began, he felt Soda lean against him slightly. "It's just I had no choice. Your to young to be left on your own with Ponyboy, Soda, I know you don't think you are but it would be wrong of me to leave you with him. It wouldn't be fair on either of you so I had to find a sitter and Mrs Warren was the only person who'd have you for free at such short notice. All the guys were busy and I had to go to work, you know how short money is at the moment. You do understand don't you?"  
  
Soda seemed to think for a minute, then nodded his head, and lent against Darry's side happily. 


	5. Stuck

"Ponyboy Curtis, Johnnycake Cade, you get down from that phone box right this minute!" Darry bellowed, looking up at the two now frightened children. He waited a minute, they didn't move. "Ponyboy now! Just you wait till I get you home, I'm gonna...aw Pony, what's wrong?"  
  
Ponyboy had started to cry, big tears trickling down his cheeks. Johnny, who was also looking extremely nervous, clutched his hand.  
  
"We can't get down Darry," he whispered. "Don't be mad."  
  
"What'd you mean you can't get down? Get down the same way you got up!"  
  
"We can't," Pony sniffed. "Darry, I'm scared."  
  
Darry gritted his teeth, inside he felt a mixture of anger and fear, but knew he could show none of these, not in front of Ponyboy and Johnny. When he spoke it was in a calm controlled voice.  
  
"Ok neither of you move you hear me. Just stay put." Not like they've going anywhere he thought to himself and grinned slightly at the irony of what he'd just said. "I'm gonna get the others ok, just for goodness sake don't do anything else."  
  
He took off towards the house, leaving Pony and Johnny to survey the world from on top of the telephone box.  
  
"Look," Johnny said, pointing. "We can see my house from here."  
  
"I'm in trouble now," Pony said sulkily. "This is one of those bad and wrong things Darry's gonna smack me for, I can tell."  
  
"At least he'll be able to get us down. I thought we might have to stay up hear forever." Pony nodded in agreement and both children were quiet for a bit.  
  
"Do you think if a bird saw us, he'd think we were slugs and eat us? Pony asked after a while.  
  
"I don't think so, we don't look like slugs do we?"  
  
"Soda calls me a slug sometimes, if he can get me confused with one, there's no reason why a bird wouldn't."  
  
"No, that's stupid. We're to big to be eaten by a bird." Despite Johnny's reassuring tone, both boys spent the rest of the time until Darry returned looking round nervously, just in case.  
  
"How the hell did they get stuck on top of a phone box," Dally fumed as he jogged after Darry. "Bloody kids, I'll kill them!"  
  
"I must say," Two-bit commented from behind Dally. "That is a new one. Even I've never managed to do that. In a phone box, yes. On a phone box, no."  
  
"I never knew you got stuck in a phone box," Soda said as they came to a halt just below Pony and Johnny.  
  
"Yeah it was when I was..."  
  
"Two-bit," Darry said through clenched teeth. "Not now yeah."  
  
Two-bit shut up.  
  
"Hi Pony, hi Johnny," Soda called up, shielding his eyes against the sun.  
  
"Hi Soda," Pony shouted back as Johnny waved. "Did you see any birds on your way over?"  
  
"Er...." Soda tried to think, slightly taken back by the question. "No I don't think so..."  
  
While this conversation had been taking place Darry and Dally had been surveying the situation.  
  
"It's impossible. How they hell did they get up there?" Dally was quickly losing patience with the phone box and Pony and Johnny. He kicked angrily at it's door frame, making the whole booth wobble, frighten yells came from above them.  
  
Darry looked at him. "Don't do that again," he said.  
  
"Wow," Two-bit yelled up. "I think you two have set a new world record getting up there. I haven't even managed to do that yet you know."  
  
"Really?" Johnny asked, cheering up a little.  
  
"Yep. All I've ever done is got trapped inside one."  
  
"I never knew you got stuck in a phone box," Pony said, peering down to look at Two-bit.  
  
"Me neither," Soda shouted back up. "We must've missed it or something."  
  
"Yeah, it was when I was..."  
  
"Two-bit," Darry hissed, even more menacingly than earlier. "We've been here before."  
  
Part 2 Will Pony and Johnny ever get down??? 


	6. Stuck part 2

"Darry," Pony called down from on top of this abnormally tall phone box (just for you hairibos!). It was one of those old fashioned ones, with a telephone that didn't work that no one had bothered to replace. All the windows had been smashed out long ago. "If me and Johnny never get down, will you come visit us?"  
  
"Yeah, sure we will Pony," Darry said absentmindedly. "Pony, how'd you get up there."  
  
"Oh we climbed on to a window ledge. How often will you visit? Will you come even if it's raining?"  
  
"No," said Soda. Pony looked hurt.  
  
"Pony, we'll come everyday, almost. Now concentrate. I want you to tell me how you got up there."  
  
"It was Johnny's idea," Pony said quickly.  
  
"No it wasn't!" Johnny protested. Darry sighed.  
  
"I don't care who's idea it was, just tell me how the hell you got up there."  
  
"You shouldn't say hell," Pony said, looking down at Darry. "You told me that was a naughty word."  
  
Darry fixed Pony with one of his 'if you don't shut up this minute I'll rip your head off' stares. Pony quickly began to explain how they got onto the phone box.  
  
"We went inside it, climbed on top of that window ledgey thing there, grabbed on to that top bit there and sort of swung up didn't we," he turned to Johnny who nodded. "Be careful though, it hurts your fingers." Pony held his fingers up to prove his point. Although no one could see anything, they all nodded in agreement.  
  
"How are we supposed to fit into that gap?" Darry asked Dally. Dally shrugged.  
  
"We're not," he said flatly and disappeared round the other side of the booth.  
  
Darry thought for a minute. "Soda..." he began, looking hopefully at his brother.  
  
"No!" Soda cut him off before he even suggested it. "There is no way, no way I am getting in that."  
  
While Soda and Darry were arguing over this, Dally was inspecting the phone box from the other side. He saw a little kid on the side of the street carrying a bucket.  
  
"Here kid," Darry called, going over to him. "Give us that bucket."  
  
It wasn't a question. The little kid looked scared out of his mind and handed over the bucket without hesitation. Dally took it and chucked the water inside it over the road. A lady yelled at him to be more careful as it splattered over her jeans. Darry cussed at her and set the bucket upside- down by the phone box. He climbed on top of it and could just about lean on top of the booth.  
  
Both Pony and Johnny screamed as Dally's head and arms appeared to their left. Soda and Darry stopped arguing, craning to see what had frightened them.  
  
"Stop your screaming you idiots. It's me," Dally snapped, grabbing hold of Johnny's t-shirt and pulling him towards him.  
  
"Oh it's ok, it's only Dally." Two-bit said. Soda and Darry looked at him.  
  
Dally easily lifted Johnny down then tried to reach for Ponyboy. Pony slid away from him, right to the other side of the phone box.  
  
"Pony come here," Dally huffed, standing on tip toes to try and reach him. "I'm gonna get you down you dummy."  
  
"Pony he won't drop you," Two-bit said. "I don't think."  
  
"No," Pony said, beginning to pout. "I don't want to."  
  
"Come on Pony, we've been out here long enough already. It's time to go home." Darry was starting to loose patience with Pony, he had a million things to do before work this evening.  
  
Pony shook his head and crossed his arms. "No, your cross with me. I don't wanna come down, I don't wanna spanking." He sniffed as fear began to replace his anger. Darry sighed.  
  
"Pony I don't have time for this. You knew it was wrong to get on that phone box, but you still did it. That was naughty, you know what happens when your naughty."  
  
"I ain't coming down!"  
  
"Come on Pony. You were scared earlier."  
  
"I'm more scared of you."  
  
That got Darry. He walked over to where Dally was balancing on the bucket and shoved him off. He got up on it himself. He was slightly taller than Dally and leant on top of the phone box more easily.  
  
"Pony," he said quietly so only he could here. "If you come down right now, I promise you won't get a spanking."  
  
Pony thought for a minute. "You promise?" He asked, already starting to move towards Darry.  
  
"Yep, cross my heart," he secured his arms round Pony's waist and stepped carefully off the bucket. He carried him round to where the others all stood. "You are so grounded young man!"  
  
Pony didn't seem to mind though, he just clung to Darry's neck, feeling safe for the first time that afternoon. 


	7. Christmas Eve

Darry held tightly onto Pony's hand as he walked him and Soda back down the street. They'd just been to a classmate's fancy dress party, so Soda was dressed as a reindeer and Pony (much to his annoyance) as white snow rabbit. Even though it was well past their bedtime, neither child appeared tired. Darry knew their was no way he would get either of them into bed, so was letting them stay up. Anyway, it was Christmas.  
  
"Do you think it'll snow?" Soda asked, as Pony hopped along next to him humming jingle bells.  
  
"It might do," Darry said, not wanting to disappoint Soda. "It's defiantly cold enough."  
  
"I quite like being a rabbit," Pony said thoughtfully, twitching his nose experimentally.  
  
"I told you you'd get used to it didn't I. I bet no one laughed at you either did they?" Darry stopped to pull Pony's rabbit hood up further round his head, the last thing he wanted was him getting sick. Pony giggled as the fluffy trimming tickled his face.  
  
"No," he said. "But people kept stroking my ears."  
  
"Where're we going?" Soda asked, looking hopefully into a doorway blasting music.  
  
"Somewhere away from here," Darry said firmly, catching Soda's look. There were to many people around here, he could smell the unmistakable scent of marijuana quite close by.  
  
"Lets go flying!" Pony yelled, running ahead and spreading his arms to make wings.  
  
"Yeah!" Soda cried, catching on and tearing after his brother. "Up, up and away!"  
  
"Is it a bid? Is it a plane? No, it's Super Rabbit!" Pony shouted, leaping onto Soda's back and attaching his arms round his neck.  
  
Up, Darry thought as Soda made choking noises and tried to shake Pony off. He knew where they could go.  
  
"Right come on guys," he said, untangling Pony and Soda. "We're going this way."  
  
"Why?" Asked Soda, gently massaging his neck. "There's nothing there."  
  
"You'll see," Darry said mysteriously, leading the way.  
  
Ten minutes later they all stood in front of the town's multi-storey car park.  
  
"Darry," Soda began slowly and carefully. "We're in a parking lot."  
  
"Exactly! Now come on, get moving. Don't just stand there like a lemon."  
  
"Actually," Pony whispered in what he thought was a quiet voice. "He's a reindeer."  
  
Darry shook his head in despair and set off up the ramp to the first storey.  
  
By the time they reached the top Soda was dragging his feet and Darry was giving Pony a piggy-back. They all collapsed on the wall surrounding the 6th storey of the car park.  
  
"Darry, I can't breathe!" Soda whined. "Why did you bring us up here?"  
  
Darry got up and pulled Soda up with him. Pony sat up and Darry put his arm around him so it crossed over the front of his chest, making sure he couldn't fall.  
  
"You see that," he said."What is it?" Both Soda and Pony looked confused.  
  
"The city?" Soda answered.  
  
"Yeah and what else?"  
  
"The sky?" Said Pony, looking back at his brother.  
  
"Right," said Darry. "Now you think how many other people are looking at that same sky right this minute."  
  
Everything was quiet as they all thought.  
  
"Lots and lots," Soda said eventually.  
  
"I wonder how many are dressed as reindeers and snow rabbits? Pony wondered out loud, playing absentmindedly with Darry's fingers.  
  
Darry smiled despite himself. "Not many I shouldn't think. But anyway that's not the point. The point is, that there's more to life than just this town. There's a whole world out there, just waiting for you to explore it ok. Do you understand?" Both boys nodded, another thoughtful silence followed.  
  
"Darry," Pony said after a bit. "Do you think Santa's really coming tonight?" He had been wondering about this for a while now, ever since he's seen a man asleep in the library who looked exactly like Santa Clause. If he was asleep in the library, who was making all the presents?  
  
"Of course he is Sweetheart, it's Christmas Eve," Darry replied, giving Pony a squeeze and Soda a jab in the ribs to keep him quiet.  
  
Right at that moment, a shooting star cut through the sky.  
  
"Look! Darry, Soda, he's coming!" Pony yelled excitedly, pointing at the star. Darry and Soda both smiled, and neither of them said a word. 


	8. The rabbit

"She's very fat isn't she," Steve said to Soda as they lugged Margaret the rabbit home from school in her cage. "Weighs a ton she does."  
  
"I think it's because Leon Kennings keeps feeding her bits of his eraser," Soda replied, stepping carefully down a curb.  
  
"You sure Darry's gonna be ok with this?" Steve asked.  
  
"Of course he will," Soda said confidently.  
  
"No Way!" Darry said as Steve and Soda heaved the cage through the front door  
  
"But Darry," Soda whined, suddenly dropping his part of the cage, leaving Steve to put it down somewhere. "You said I could bring home my science project, so I did!"  
  
"Wow! That better than a science project, that's a rabbit!" Pony cried excitedly, rushing over to say hello. He didn't even get within three feet before he began to sneeze.  
  
"What's up with you?" Steve asked, looking at Pony irritably.  
  
"He's allergic, that's what's up with him," Darry snapped, grabbing Pony and holding his hands behind his back. "Don't touch it, your eyes will swell up."  
  
"But I wanna...Achew!"  
  
"Soda get it outta here now! Pony, go to your room and stay there 'til I get back, I'm going down the store to get you some medicine."  
  
"This is all your fault," Soda snapped at Ponyboy as soon as Darry'd left. Pony looked hurt.  
  
"It's not my fault she makes me sneeze. I like Margaret, she..." He was interrupted by Steve.  
  
"Hey I gotta go," he glanced nervously at the clock in the kitchen. "I said I'd help my old man with mending the roof, I'm already late."  
  
"Ok see ya Steve. If you call round here tomorrow, you can help me carry Margaret somewhere, thanks to SOMEBODY."  
  
"Yeah ok, bye." Soda and Pony heard the front door slam. Soda immediately rounded on Ponyboy. Pony didn't like the look in his eyes, he'd seen it enough times before.  
  
"I'm not gonna miss out on my chance to look after Margaret just because she makes you have a runny nose. That's your problem. I'm gonna hide Margaret under our bed, Ok. If you breathe one word of it to Darry I won't speak to you ever again, got it?" Pony nodded his head, dumbfounded. It was all very confusing to him. If he went along with Soda, Darry would be mad at him; if he didn't, Soda would never talk to him again. And he certainly didn't want that. "Ok then, help me with her cage."  
  
After 10 minutes of heaving and cussing and Pony sneezing they finally got the cage into their room.  
  
"Don't you think it's a bit dark under their?" Pony asked as Soda began to manoeuvre the cage under their bed. "And dusty and smelly. She might not like it."  
  
"She don't got much choice," Soda replied, wiping a hand across his sweaty brow. "Now go round there and tell me if you can see her cage. And stop sniffing, that'll be the first thing Darry notices."  
  
"You can't see it," Pony informed him, wiping his nose.  
  
"Good," Soda said, thinking about what they were going to do next. "Right you go wait in the living room 'til Darry gets back, I'll stay in here with Margaret and if he asks you where I am, say I've taken her back to school ok?"  
  
"Ok," Pony said quietly. He wasn't happy about this, if they got caught...  
  
Darry returned about five minutes later.  
  
"What are you doing out here Pony? I thought I told you to stay in your bedroom?"  
  
"Er...you did but er...since Soda's tooken the rabbit back, I thought it was er... alright to come out."  
  
"Oh ok then," Darry seemed satisfied by this, Pony breathed a sigh of relief. "And it taken."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Taken not tooken."  
  
"Oh alright," Darry was correcting his grammar, things looked ok.  
  
"How long ago did Soda leave? I'm not happy about him leaving you on your own, I'll have to have a talk to him about that later." Soda felt his heart jump into his mouth from where he was listening behind their bedroom door.  
  
"Oh not long," Pony said quickly, really getting into his role now. "Only a few minutes before you come home."  
  
"Really? I didn't see him" Soda clutched Margaret tightly.  
  
"Um...I think he was gonna call for Steve, to help him carry the cage and that."  
  
"Oh yeah, that figures." Soda felt himself relax, how he loved his little brother!  
  
Later that night, Pony couldn't sleep. Apart from the fact he felt guilty about the whole thing, his eyes had begun to itch like crazy. "Pony, leave your eyes alone!" Soda snapped, fed up with Pony's constant fidgeting.  
  
"It's your fault," Pony hissed back, just as angry with Soda as he was with him. "Why did you have to hold her in bed, her hairs are everywhere. My eyes hurt real bad, and I can hear he moving around. Why won't she go to sleep!?"  
  
"Why won't you go to sleep?!" Soda countered. Pony huffed and turned over angrily so he had his back to Soda. Soda was left staring at the ceiling, wondering weather this was really all worth it.  
  
The next morning Pony was up before Soda. He wondered into the kitchen in search of some breakfast. As usual Darry was by the cooking, he looked up as Pony walked in.  
  
"Mornin' kiddo you ready for some....Ponyboy, what the Hell's happened to your eyes?!"  
  
"Huh?" Pony asked confused, they didn't fell any different, a bit itchy perhaps but no different from last night.  
  
"Bathroom, right now," Darry ordered, grabbing Pony's hand as he passed and dragging him along with him. Once there he immediately turned on the taps by the washbasin and began to wet a flannel.  
  
Pony perched on the side of the basin, gripping onto Darry tightly and staring horrified into the bathroom mirror.  
  
"Darry, Darry look at my eyes! They're all red and fat and squishy, Ewwww!!!" Pony began to frantically rub his eyes.  
  
"I told you don't touch them!" Darry snapped, smacking his hands away. He'd guessed what had happened with the rabbit and feeling extremely angry with both boys. "Come here."  
  
He yanked Pony's face round to face him and gently began to clean his eyes with the flannel.  
  
"Owww...." Pony whined, gripping tightly to Darry arm and beginning to cry. "It hurts Darry."  
  
"I know baby but it's the only thing that gonna make them better. I'll give you some more medicine in a bit. But I did warn you didn't I, I said this would happen if you touched that rabbit."  
  
"What rabbit?" Pony asked innocently.  
  
"Yeah, nice try kiddo, but don't you 'what rabbit' me. Now are you gonna tell me where it is or am I gonna have to make you?"  
  
"I can't," Pony sniffed, even though Darry's threat made him nervous, he was more worried by Soda's. "If I tell you, Soda will never talk to me gain, he said."  
  
"Did he now? Well I think I can sort that problem out for you. How about you tell me where you two have hidden that rabbit, and I'll make sure Soda talks to alright?"  
  
"Ok," Pony said flatly, he didn't really feel he had much choice in the matter. "It's under our bed."  
  
"Under your bed," Darry repeated and Pony nodded. "Have you held it?"  
  
"No, just stroked her, but Soda has. He got rabbit hairs all over our bed."  
  
"That explains your eyes then. They must've been really itchy, why didn't you come tell me?"  
  
"Because I thought you'd be cross 'cos we didn't do what you said. Am I in trouble now?" Pony asked cautiously, looking down at the floor.  
  
"No I don't think so. Those red eyes are enough punishment I think, you've learnt your lesson. When I say you can't do something, I say it for a reason. I'm not just trying to ruin your fun or make your lives miserable, I'm doing it because it needs to be done understand?"  
  
Pony nodded his head. "Sorry," he whispered, putting his arm round Darry's neck. He didn't particularly like getting told off by Darry, but it could've been worse. Anyway, now the guilt was gone.  
  
"That's alright baby," Darry said, hugging Pony to him and gentle rubbing his back. Suddenly Pony sneezed. "Come on, lets go give you some medicine, and I've got to talk to your brother."  
  
"Is he in trouble?" Pony asked as Darry lifted him off the sink and carried him through to the kitchen.  
  
"Yes." Darry answered curtly, not wanting to think about Soda yet. He sat Pony down at the table with a piece of chocolate cake and instructions to keep wiping his eye with the flannel. Darry went off to retrieve the rabbit.  
  
He crept into his brothers' room, carefully so as not to wake Soda. It only took a minute before he had the rabbit cage in his hands, they hadn't pushed it under very deep, just far enough to keep it from sticking out. As he came back out, Pony turned round.  
  
"Hello Margaret," he whispered, smiling happily. "Did you like it under our bed? I wouldn't, I told Soda..." Pony looked like he was going to get up and come over.  
  
"Don't even think about it kid, you stay right where you are," Darry interrupted, fixing Pony with one of his stares. Pony tutted in annoyance but sat down all the same. Darry sighed, Pony seemed to have got at least half his piece of chocolate cake round his mouth. Either way he was looking better. Darry saw him reach for another slice. "Pony, no. You know the rule."  
  
Pony rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Darry's back as he carried Margaret's cage into his room. He checked no one was watching, then stuck his finger right into the sticky icing covering the top of the cake. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Soda tapped his shoulder.  
  
"Where's Darry?" Soda asked, yawning. "God Pony your eyes look awfuk!" Pony had just opened his mouth to reply when they heard Darry shout.  
  
"Soda is that you?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Then get back into your room right this minute. Me and you are gonna have a little chat."  
  
Soda looked questioningly at Pony who'd suddenly become very interested in licking chocolate cake off his fingers.  
  
"Come on, today please," Darry ushered Soda back into their room and shut the door behind them, giving Pony a hard look as he did so, daring him to move an inch. "How dare you, Sodapop Curtis. How dare you! I told you to get rid of that rabbit and you disobeyed me. You know what I should do don't you."  
  
"Don't Darry, please I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it, It's just Ponyboy..."  
  
"Don't give me that, you did mean to do it. And don't you even think about blaming this on your brother. You've done enough to him already. I presume you've seen his eyes, that was your fault Soda. It's..."  
  
"It's not my fault he's allergic!"  
  
"No but it's your fault for keeping that thing in here. And you got him to lie for you by blackmailing him. Do you know what that means?" Soda nodded his head sadly. "Then you knew what you were doing was wrong. I'm really disappointed in you Sodapop, I thought I could trust you. If you act like a little kid I'll treat you like one. Your grounded for three weeks, school and here, that's it. One hour of Tv a night, the rest of the time you'll spend in here you understand me? Your bedtime is now 7:30."  
  
"Sorry Darry," Soda muttered, hanging his head. "I'll never do it again."  
  
"You'd better not. Now come and have some breakfast and apologise to your brother, he's worried your not going to speak to him. Next time you disobey me, I won't be so nice ok, so just watch yourself. The rabbit's going to stay at Two-bit's for the rest of the week and I'm going to phone your teacher to tell her never to give you Margaret to look after again. Now come on."  
  
Soda trooped back into the kitchen and apologised to Pony who really wouldn't have cared what Soda said as long as Soda was talking to him. Darry cleaned the chocolate off his face and hands then gave him another two spoonfuls of medicine and by lunch time Pony was looking and feeling a lot better. Darry made Soda vacuum the whole house to get rid of any lingering rabbit hairs while he and Pony remade his and Soda's bed. By that evening, things were pretty much back to normal apart from the fact that it was only Pony and Darry watching telly. 


	9. still trying to think of one

"Ponyboy Curtis, you move off that doormat and you'll be going to bed without any dinner," Darry called as Pony charged in the front door. As usual his threat had no effect on Pony what so ever, both him and Soda were well used to them by now, but Pony stayed on the mat anyway.  
  
"Hi Two-bit, hi Dally," he said, smiling cheerfully at them.  
  
"Hey little man," Two-bit replied looking up from the television set, Dally grunted.  
  
"You stay right where you are," Darry continued, sliding past Ponyboy and shutting the door behind him. He smiled at Two-bit and Dally, vaguely acknowledging their presence before turning back to his brother.  
  
"Wow, is the neighbourhood flooding or something?" Two-bit asked, taking in Pony's drenched clothes and Darry's wet hair.  
  
"Naw, just raining," Darry told him, pulling off his waterproof and hanging it up. "But someone forgot his coat this morning."  
  
Pony looked up at Darry innocently causing him to sigh in exasperation. Sometimes it felt like everything he said went in one ear and straight out the other.  
  
"What was the last thing I said to you this morning?" He asked Pony, his anger being replaced by despair. Pony's brow furrowed and he began to rub the bridge of his nose, obviously thinking hard.  
  
"Um..." he said finally. "To take my coat."  
  
Darry felt a bit better. "Exactly, so why didn't you?" Pony was thinking again.  
  
"It was Soda's fault, he was chasing me and I just kinda forgot." He said finally, deciding as Soda was at Steve's house for the evening, it would be safe to blame him.  
  
Darry gave in and decided to just concentrate on getting him dry again before he caught a cold.  
  
"Right you, lets get these clothes of you before you catch your death. The last thing I need is you getting sick." Pony smiled, knowing his brother was no longer cross with him. "Put yours arms in the air."  
  
Darry peeled off Pony's wet t-shirt, pants and underwear before wrapping him up in a big towel from the bathroom. He went and heated up a cup of warm milk for him as Pony went and sat on top of Two-bit who was sprawled out on the sofa.  
  
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough, Darry managed to get Pony ready for bed by 8:00 without to much fuss and even convinced him to practice a bit of his reading.  
  
"The boy...th...thor..." Pony peered hard at the page, struggling to form the letters in to a word.  
  
"Thought," Darry prompted him, giving him an encouraging squeeze. Pony was sitting on his lap and Darry was pointing to each word as Pony read to help him keep his place.  
  
"Thought," Pony repeated. "That the man was a v...v-ill...village be..."  
  
"Nope, look at the last three letters. What are they?"  
  
"A, I, N."  
  
"Right, now if that word said village, what would those letters be?"  
  
"I, G?"  
  
"Nearly, it's A,G,E. Vill-age. So if you...."  
  
"Will you keep it down!" Dally snapped angrily, looking up from the tv for the first time that evening. "I'm trying to watch something here!"  
  
Darry ignored him, Pony looked slightly hurt. Darry gave him a gentle tap on the nose to catch his attention again. "So if you put all the letters together, what have you got?"  
  
"V-ill-a-in," Pony said slowly, letting the sounds roll off his tongue.  
  
"Uh huh and what does that sound like?"  
  
"Villain!" Pony said triumphantly, a proud grin appearing on his face. "Like in Batman."  
  
"Exactly like in Batman," Darry said, just as pleased with Pony as the little boy was with himself. "Well done baby, that was really good."  
  
Pony beamed, it wasn't often he got praised by Darry. Dally, however, was beginning to lose patients with the whole thing. They'd been going for 10 minutes already and were only on the first line.  
  
By the time they were finished Dally was just about prepared to leave, the only thing stopping him was the fact that he had nowhere to go. He was in one of his dangerous moods, and everyone knew it. He and Two-bit were playing poker at the kitchen table, but neither of them were really into it. Dally had to much energy built up inside him and Two-bit was making a special effort not to cheat in case it gave Dally an excuse to loose it so really had no interest in the game either.  
  
Meanwhile Darry had just slipped a very tired Pony off his lap and sent him into the kitchen so he could get a drink of water. Pony took a chair from the kitchen table and dragged it nosily over to the sink so he could reach the taps.  
  
"Hey kiddo, you want me to help you with that?" Two-bit asked, looking for a chance to get away from the cared game.  
  
Pony shook his head. "No, I can do it," he said confidently.  
  
"Thank you," Darry reminded him from the lounge.  
  
"Thank you," Pony repeated flatly, turning on the cold tap.  
  
Having filled his glass up he clambered down again, careful not to spill any. He lugged the chair back cross the kitchen one-handedly and put it back at the table. What he didn't realise was that one leg of his pyjama bottoms was caught under it, so as he tried to walk away, he was jerked back. He lunged forward onto Dally who was sitting next to him. As he fell, his glass tipped and the whole contents went down the side of Dally shirt. Pony grabbed hold of the table with his free hand and just managed to keep himself from falling over completely.  
  
As he heaved himself back up, Dally slowly turned to face him, still sitting. He was still holding his cards in his hands and was breathing very heavily. Ponyboy stumbled backwards, his eyes as wide as saucers.  
  
"S...s...s...sorry Da...Dally," he stuttered, staring in disbelief at his drenched shirt.  
  
Darry slowly got up, towering over Pony who tilted his head back to keep looking at him. He threw his cards down on the table and raised his hand. Two-bit seemed frozen to his chair, unable to do anything about the scene unfolding in front of him. Pony let out a small squeak, but it was enough to bring Darry running. He jumped in between Dally and Pony, shoving Pony safely behind him  
  
"Pony go to bed," Darry ordered, not taking his eyes off Dally.  
  
"But..." Pony began, peering round his leg.  
  
"Don't even think about arguing with me. Bed, now!" Pony disappeared, glancing nervously back at his brother. Dally still had his hand raised ready to hit.  
  
"Dally you need to calm down. He's only a kid, it was an accident."  
  
"Then you sort him out, he's your brother. Did you see what he did? Didn't look much like an accident to me."  
  
"No I didn't see it but I know Pony's not like that. As you said, he's my brother. He wouldn't just chuck water over you for no reason."  
  
"He wouldn't Dally, not Ponyboy," Two-bit interjected. Dally slowly turned round to face him and fixed him with a stare that made even Two-bit duck his head.  
  
"You'd better do something with him before I do Darry. I mean it, I ain't in the mood to take any of his bull tonight," Darry continued, looking slightly calmer but still psyched up.  
  
"Ok ok I'll go talk to him now. You just sit down and relax yeah? Talk to Two-bit."  
  
"Hmmmm," Dally said as he sat back down at the table, flexing his muscles menacingly and glaring at Two-bit.  
  
Darry found Pony curled up under his covers and crying quietly . He sat down on the edge of his bed and put his hand where he thought his shoulder was.  
  
"Come on out Pony, I wanna talk to you."  
  
"No," came the muffled reply. "I ain't ever coming out."  
  
"Ah it's not that bad. Dally's ok now. He was just angry because you got him all wet." Pony stuck his head up from under the duvet.  
  
"It wasn't my fault! It was an accident, I didn't mean to do it. Tripped over that damn chair!"  
  
"Hey watch your language," Darry reminded him, tapping him lightly on the cheek. "And I know it wasn't your fault, Dally knows it to. He was just in one of his moods and took it out on you.You understand me?"  
  
Pony nodded slowly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I thought he was gonna hit me Darry. I was really scared."  
  
"I know you were baby, but it's ok now," Darry said comfortingly, giving him a hug. "You can say sorry to Dally in the morning, that'll give him a chance to calm down a bit ok?"  
  
"Ok," Pony whispered into Darry's shoulder. "Do you think Dally will still like me?"  
  
"Yeah of course he will. It's like when you got mad at Soda for running out your felt tips so you threw that toy horse at him and hit him in the belly. It didn't mean you didn't like him anymore, it just meant you were mad at him at that moment." Pony nodded again and stifled a yawn. "You ready to go to sleep now?"  
  
"Uh huh, will you stay with me though. I don't like sleeping by myself. Please?"  
  
Darry sighed. He had a million and one other things to do, but from one look at Pony's face, he knew which one he had to do first.  
  
"Ok budge over then," he said, stretching out on top of the covers and shifting Pony over slightly. I'll just stay 'til he's asleep, he thought to himself, them I'll go talk to Dally.  
  
Ten minutes later, both Darry and Ponyboy, were fast asleep.

Hi guys, I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a bit rushed and not as good as previous ones. I've had alot of school work to finish off and well you know how it is. But that's all done now so hopefully my next chappy will be a bit better. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed my staory so far, I appreciate all your comments and advice.

luv Julia


	10. When i grow up

"I didn't know you smoked Johnnycake," Darry said one Saturday afternoon, glancing meaningfully at the cigarette in Johnny's hand. Johnny followed his gaze.  
  
"Yeah," he said simply, as if it was no big deal. "Started a couple of weeks ago."  
  
"Do you like it?" Pony asked curiously, looking at Johnny with newly established respect. "What's it taste like? Does it make you feel funny?"  
  
"It's alright," Johnny answered, feeling slightly intimidated by all the attention he was getting. "It made me cough to start with, but it's ok now. And it sort of tastes like paper and bonfires."  
  
"You've tasted a bonfire?" Soda asked, raising his eyebrows. Johnny shrugged his shoulders and blushed slightly.  
  
"Cool," Pony whispered, looking awe struck. "Can I try some?"  
  
"NO!" Darry and Soda both snapped at the same time.  
  
"Over my dead body," Darry continued, grabbing Pony by the tops of his arms and yanking him towards him. "What have I always told you about smoking?" He gave him a slight shake. "Come on, what have I always told you!?"  
  
"Er...." Pony looked perplexed, his head bobbling around on top of his shoulders like one of those little nodding dogs. "I dunno Darry, stop shaking me, I feel sick!"  
  
"It kills you. It makes your lungs go all rotten and black. I saw a picture once at school. It was disgusting. And it makes your teeth go yellow," Soda informed him, mainly to draw attention away from the fact Darry was about to strangle him. Ponyboy turned back round to face Dary.  
  
"It makes you lungs go all rotten and..." he began, repeating exactly what Soda had just told him.  
  
"Yeah yeah, I know," Darry interrupted him, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "It also gives you heart disease and lung cancer. And it'll stunt your growth."  
  
"What's that mean?"  
  
"That you'll be little for ever," Soda said, a small hint of satisfaction in his voice. This seemed to have much more effect on Pony than the fact it could kill him.  
  
"So I'd never grow up?" he asked.  
  
"Well you would, you'd just be smaller than everyone else," Darry explained, pulling Pony onto his lap. Pony lent his head against Darry's broad chest, and thought about this for a while.  
  
"Your parents know you smoke Johnny?" Darry asked, rocking Pony gently.  
  
Johnny shook his head. "They wouldn't care even if they did."  
  
"Would you care?" Pony whispered to Darry a few minutes later, once Johnny had gone to the kitchen to fix himself a drink.  
  
"Of course I'd care, baby," Darry whispered back, hugging Pony tightly to him. "I'm always gonna care. No matter what you do, I'm gonna care."  
  
Pony nodded. "Why don't Johnny's mommy and daddy care?"  
  
Darry shrugged. "I don't know. I guess some people just aren't very good at caring. Maybe know one cared about them when they were little or maybe they just don't understand what being a parent means. Who knows?"  
  
"Did our mommy and daddy care about us?"  
  
"Yep, they cared a whole lot. You been missing them lately?" Pony nodded again.  
  
"This girl at school asked me what it was like not having a daddy anymore, and I told her I don't need no daddy because I got you. But then after I'd said it I felt really bad, like the time I told Soda I wished he was dead then he nearly got hit by that bus."  
  
"Is that what's been bothering you?"  
  
"Uh huh. Do you think daddy's mad at me because I said I didn't need him anymore?"  
  
"No of course he's not mad at you. Just because you said you don't need him doesn't mean you forgotten him. It just means your getting used to they way things are now. And that's a good thing, both him and mom would be pleased about that wouldn't they? They'd hate for us to be unhappy right?"  
  
"Yeah. Maybe you could be my second daddy, that why I haven't forgotten him because he's still my first daddy but because he's gone up in Heaven's bucket, I got you as well. That sound ok?"  
  
"Yep, that sounds just fine to me. You feel better now?" Pony nodded. "And you're not gonna be asking Johnny for cigarettes?" Pony shook his head. "Alright then. I know, how about you go draw me a nice picture?"  
  
"Ok," Pony said happily, jumping off Darry's lap and starting to hunt around for his pens. Darry smiled sadly, wishing he was still seven and that a cuddle could sort out all his problems to.  
  
Forty minutes later, Pony was back on Darry lap, waving a piece of paper under his nose.  
  
"I didn't do a picture," he was saying. "I did a list."  
  
Darry took the paper from him and began to read out loud Pony's list.  
  
"Wot I want to b wen I grow up, by Ponyboy Curtis. 1) Not dead 2)Tall 3)Happy 4)Lik Darry 5)Batman 6)Famus, you mean famous right Pone?"  
  
"Yeah famous."  
  
"Ok, 7) President 8)clever 9)A train driver 10) Not sunburnt. Not sunburnt?"  
  
"I don't like getting sunburnt."  
  
"Well if you wore sun cream like I told you to..."  
  
"Then I smell like a girl." Darry sighed and shook his head, if Pony was going to be one thing when he grew up, it was argumentative.


	11. Worries

"It's to hot," Ponyboy whinged, perched on the side of the bathtub. "I'm starting to melt, I know I am!"  
  
Soda rolled his eyes and ignored his brother. "It's not coming through Darry," he called into the kitchen where Darry was turning the kitchen taps. The old shower had not worked for years, but (unable to stand his brother's whining for much longer) Darry had finally given in and attached it to a hose, which he in turn had attached to the kitchen taps.  
  
"Wait," Darry called back, as he heard the faint sound of water gurgling somewhere in the house. "I think I can hear it coming." Pony and Soda both held their breath to listen.  
  
Sure enough, the hose slowly began to fill with water. Darry held it in his hands, following it into the bathroom. A small drop of water fell from the shower onto Soda's upturned face.  
  
"It's coming, it's coming!" Pony yelled, jumping up excitedly and squeezing under the shower next to Soda. He got there just in time, for seconds later water began cascading out of the shower, drenching the two boys who squealed excitedly. Darry breathed a sigh of relief, maybe now he could get on with his paperwork.  
  
For the next couple of hours, things went quite well. There was only one interruption, which was Steve marching through the doorway, muttering about a fight with his old man. But only minutes later Darry heard one more voice added to the happy shouts coming from the bathroom so decided not to worry about him to much.  
  
So Darry was still sitting in the same armchair he'd sat earlier that day, lost in the world of forms and bills he was now required to deal with, when he felt someone watching him. He peered up from the gas bill he was worrying about, and found Pony standing in front of him.  
  
"Pony, what are you doing? I thought I told you to stay in the bath?"  
  
"I know, but I decided to come visit you. Because I thought it wasn't fair that we were having fun while you were in here by yourself."  
  
Darry sighed and shook his head. "How long you been standing there Pone?"  
  
Pony shrugged. "A while?"  
  
Darry glanced at the wet patch surrounding him and sighed again. "Yep, I think a while would be about right."  
  
"Why are you sad Darry? Is it 'cos I've dripped on the floor? I didn't mean to, I just couldn't reach the towels." Pony looked down and wriggled his toes, causing the carpet to squelch under him. "I'll clean it up if you want, honestly I will."  
  
"Nah forget it, I'll do it later. And I'm not sad Pone, everything's just fine. Now why don't you go and play with the others?"  
  
Pony shook his head. "No I don't want to. Steve's talking to Soda, and they won't let me hear what they're saying. And you are sad, I can see it in your face. Why you sad Darry?"  
  
"I told you Pony, I'm not sad. I've just got a bit of a headache is all."  
  
"Do you want me to rub it better?"  
  
"No I don't think so Pone. It doesn't work on headaches. But thanks anyway." Darry rubbed his chin as he moved on from the gas bill to the water bill. His eyes grew wide as he stared at the figures in front of him. He was beginning to regret letting Pony and Soda use the shower all day.  
  
"I could try?" Pony said hopefully, moving closer to Darry and leaning against his knees. He didn't like it when Darry had paperwork to do. He was always in a bad mood afterwards, and generally seemed distracted and distant, so much so that Pony often and to shake him just to get his attention. Pony usually tried to keep out of his way when he was like this, but today he wanted, needed, Darry to notice him.  
  
"No Ponyboy, go play." Pony quietened down, his brother's tone making him weary, but he stayed where he was, scuffing his toe against the armchair. After a minute he got bored, and picked up the calculator Darry had been using. He typed in the numbers 0.1134, then turned it upside down and showed it triumphantly to Darry, smiling broadly. But Darry hardly glanced at it, just gave Pony one of his half smiles which disappeared so quick if Pony blinked he'd of missed it.  
  
Pony waited a minute more, hoping Darry might just snap out of it. But Darry didn't move, so Pony climbed up onto his lap instead, accidentally knocking a wad of papers off the arm as he went.  
  
"Oh Pony! Look what you've done! It's taken me ages to..." Darry stopped suddenly as he felt Pony's hands on his forehead, slowly tracing the worry lines that had begun to appear there, Pony's small fingers cool against his skin.  
  
"Don't you be doing no more worrying ok? I'll do the worrying for you, I'm gonna help you." His fingers found the Darry's temples and began to massage them in small circular movements, like he'd seen his Mother do when she was stressed. "Your head ain't gonna hurt no more."  
  
And in a funny kind of way, it was helping Darry's head. Although it didn't make it go away, it did help ease the drilling, and the ritual became a routine between the brothers. And in a way, it helped Pony just as much as it helped Darry. 


End file.
